The Dallas Landmark Commission granted a narrowly tailored safety exception on Sept. 6 allowing a corner-side fence at 5733 Victor Street in Junius Heights, subject to conditions limiting the new fence’s height and requiring vehicle-resistant bollards behind the fence.

Homeowner Rachel Fieg told commissioners she had experienced two separate collisions in an 18-month span and had been displaced for eight months after an earlier crash. She asked the commission to allow the extension of an 8-foot board-on-board fence to the north front side of her house to protect the building and residents from further vehicular damage.

Staff initially recommended denying the request without prejudice because the proposed fence would screen important architectural features on the corner side and the application lacked engineering documentation proving the new fence would be necessary or effective. The Landmark task force—without a quorum for a formal vote—recommended approval on safety grounds provided additional reinforcement was used.

During discussion commissioners and staff expressed concern that a simple board fence alone would not reliably stop an out-of-control vehicle, and asked the owner to provide more detail about reinforcement. The homeowner said her contractor had recommended reinforced pillars every 4 feet; she proposed placing bollards behind the fence to provide structural protection while keeping the visible fence from appearing too industrial.

The commission approved the requested exception with a compromise: the visible fence will be limited to 6 feet in height with a transition from the existing 8-foot section down to 6 feet, and the owner must install vehicle-resistant bollards behind the fence at regular spacing (approximately every 4 feet). Commissioners directed staff to work with the owner on final placement, foundation depth for bollards, and landscape treatment to screen the bollards while preserving visibility of the house.

Commissioners described the decision as an atypical one driven by documented safety incidents at the site; they urged the owner to provide engineering specifications for the bollards and pillars before final permits are issued.

The commission’s action allows the homeowner to pursue construction of the reduced-height fence with structural bollards; staff will issue details in the amended certificate of appropriateness and review final engineering documentation during permit review.